Judging by the recent high-profile death of a common dolphin in Brooklyn’s filthy Gowanus Canal, it seems that everyone really does want to “save the whales.” And though the deeply humane impulse to jump in the water and rescue a marine mammal that is lost, sick or stranded is laudable, it is not always the best course of action for the animal, scientists and wildlife, rescue experts say.

Given the animal’s condition, not interferingwas the most humane thing to do. I would recommend that you look at what happened not from the point of view of what would have made you feel better, but what was best for the dolphin.

Each marine mammal stranding is unique, and there is no blanket protocol for how to deal with them all. Some animals require immediate veterinarian intervention, some need removal from the site, some require human assistance while they wait for the tide to free them, some need to be euthanized, and some, sad to say, should be left alone by people in order for nature to take its course.

But the decision on whether, when, and how to intervene is often delayed by government red tape, hampered by a lack of resources and rescue facilities, and almost always agonizingly difficult. The case of the lost dolphin of Brooklyn, an adult male who died in the canal several hours after first being spotted, is no exception.

The moment I saw the dolphin—I live two blocks from the canal—I knew it was in deep trouble and probably would not survive. His dorsal fin was scraped and bleeding, he was clearly disoriented, respiring rapidly in an apparent sign of stress, and dragging his body through gray-green industrial sludge that rose up around him in toxic underwater clouds. Clearly, this animal was in trouble long before he wandered into the dirty, frigid Gowanus.

Of course, the bizarre sight of a beautiful sea creature struggling in the water just blocks from downtown Brooklyn and the bars and cafes of Park Slope attracted a lot of attention and became the number-one news story in a busy and jaded metropolis. The canal area was crowded with NYPD officers, marine rescue officials, reporters and curious onlookers.